


Artistically Challenged

by death13



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humorous Ending, Other, Slight pining, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:21:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24543784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/death13/pseuds/death13
Summary: You and Tsukishima get paired up for an art assignment. He's having trouble.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 123





	Artistically Challenged

Tsukishima is not someone who's artistically inclined. If anything, upon being asked about his opinion regarding a piece of art, he would resort to two responses:

1\. He'd start throwing together a bunch of fancy words, hoping that a sentence forms somewhere along the way. The vernacular must be immaculate as to throw off anyone willing to question him further. Of course, he only gets this technique from the pompous snobs attending art galleries he hears about in movies. Such an unsophisticated method, he wouldn't admit to using out loud, but it's the truth. 

2\. Say something not-so-constructive, like 'lame' or 'ugly'. This happens less often, the most recent case being when Hinata showed him his fanart of some celebrity. To Tsukishima's defense though, on that specific day, he hadn't said anything remotely insulting before this incident, so he was feeling unnerved.

In his art class, he does just about fine. The teacher doesn't demand anything outside of his capabilities or (lack of) talent; just following her instructions is enough for a good grade. Regardless, he has somehow landed himself in quite the predicament.

You're his acquaintance and he knows that you're _at the very least_ a decent artist. Tsukishima doesn't have many friends to speak of, besides Yamaguchi that is. Even though the poor, freckled boy often gets treated like a lackey, that's no more than a front. Your association with Tsukishima is about as good as it gets aside from his childhood friend. 

This is exactly why getting paired up with you for this strange assignment is less than ideal. 

The requirements are straight-forward. You have to make a colored A4 portrait of your partner during the span of two lessons, nothing too fancy or detailed of course. Afterward, you're supposed to exchange your pieces as presents. As already mentioned, your name had been called along with his. Considering your nonchalant attitude, his demeanor didn't do much to deter you in your interactions with him―upon hearing the 'good' news, you'd turned towards him with narrowed eyes and a cocky smile curving over your lips. 

The gesture was clear. You thought that you're going to destroy him. This is now a competition, good-natured intention behind the assignment itself be damned! And so far, he's been...

Proving you right, to be exact. 

Facing each other, you rapidly glance up at him and then back at your sheet. The process makes you look like you're jotting down notes but in reality, you're just drawing him. He's not sure what to expect. He wouldn't put it past you to make him into a thinly-disguised caricature and lying to the teacher that you're trying out something new. Her 'see the best in everyone' self would buy it, of course.

Whatever it is that you're doing, surely it must be more successful than this. 

After staring at you like a mindless animal for a long time, he has managed to draw three shaky lines. To top it off, even _he_ isn't sure what they're supposed to be. Well. It's not much, but it's honest work, at least.

Tsukishima is quick to admit when he's not good at something. However, the more you draw and the less he does, the more his irritation raises. His competitive nature sometimes gets the best of him. 

"Hmph." It's a silent noise, not meant for anyone to hear. 

"Find your muse yet, Tsukishima?" you ask teasingly, that annoying sneer making its way on your face once more. 

His finger twitches, his grasp on the pencil becoming tighter. "Nothing inspirational to see here," he says as coolly and mockingly as possible. Despite his well-concealed aggravation, you can still tell there's a bit more bite to his words than usual.

"I understand. Still, I try to make-do." You're making that expression again, eyebrows asymmetrically raised, and eyes narrowed, a ghost of a smile over your face. 

He looks down at his paper with a frown, trying to imitate the expression you'd made. Considering his skill level, it doesn't look right at all. If anything you (or rather, this butchered _depiction_ of you) look demented. He tries to erase it but ends up smudging the lines―when did his hands get so sweaty?―so now you have a rash as well. Artistic freedom might be necessary, but he wishes someone would take it away from him this instant.

You purse your lips, mock worry making its way in your tone. "I thought you'd be good at drawing me, Tsukishima, considering how much you stare at me."

"Hm, who would've thought your mind is as faulty as your [subject] skills?" You roll your eyes, a remark along the lines of _low blow_ hanging on the tip of your tongue. Regardless, you let him continue speaking, which you come to regret soon after. "Though, following your logic, that explains why you're doing so good right now."

This might sound like the language of savages feigning serenity to passersby, but most of your conversations with Tsukishima go down a similar route. Round after round of endless teasing. And this is exactly how both of you like it.

The ring of the bell resounds and you quickly recompose yourself to appear unaffected by his remark. "Whatever. Talk your shit, Average Guy. I still got more stuff done than you today, so once again, I'm fairly epic." To emphasize your superiority one last time, you stick your tongue out and give him a peace sign before rushing out of the classroom.

Tsukishima stays behind for a bit, seething. He hates it when you're right.

* * *

He won't be outdone, he swears. So, he tries to make up for his blatant tardiness during the lesson itself on his own time. 

The bespectacled boy has inwardly run over many options in his head. He could clumsily trace over a picture of you but honestly, that'd be creepy and he's not about that life. The other most salvageable option was begrudgingly asking Yamaguchi for help, but he realized that it'd make the win less satisfying. Still, with his efforts alone, he wouldn't go very far. 

Getting out a new piece of paper, he tries to draw you once more. With each turn, he turns more and more dissatisfied―the shape of your eyes and lips never come out quite accurately whenever he does manage to come up with something that resembles a human face. He lets out a tired grunt before erasing it again, though he catches himself to be abruptly startled. Of course, he knows what you look like. You're his classmate. But the extent of his awareness to your presence is alarming, like a slap in the face. 

He frowns, deciding not to dwell too much into it and continues his attempts until he's content. As content as possible when taking into account his lack of competence, at least. 

* * *

There are ten minutes until the end of class. The majority of this lesson had been spent in silence, with you occasionally lending him a pencil here and there and engaging in some kind of passive-aggressive game of footsie under the table when the teacher isn't looking. In a moment of clarity, Tsukishima gazes down at his masterpiece―truly, it looks worse than even Hinata's fanart. He never thought he'd stoop this low. 

The teacher claps her hands, most students snapping their heads in her direction, you included. Tsukishima continues staring at his drawing. The moment of truth is nearing and he already knows he'd lost. He just hopes that when you do laugh in his face, he'll be able to come up with a good response on the spot. Though, he supposes, he shouldn't worry about such a thing. That has always been an area he's talented in.

"Alright, class. Please exchange your portraits!" she says cheerily. 

You look towards Tsukishima expectantly. He smiles lopsidedly, looking at you like you're the most comical thing in the room, though the words he utters while handing it to you are more of a defense mechanism. "You see, I tried to capture your hide―"

"Aww, it's so cute. Thank you, Tsukki," you say. Do you pity him or are you making fun of him?

He tries to register any kind of sardonic undertones in your voice and composure, but when he finds none, his insulting remark dies in his throat. A genuine smile settles on your face when you glance at it once more, fondness much unlike your otherwise blasé and sometimes even abrasive front displayed blatantly over your visage. 

Not that he'd understand this, but the effort he put into this silly project was visible and that was enough to make you content. 

"What are you so happy about? It's just some stupid drawing," he says, after an awkward moment of silence that seemingly only affected him. "Are you going to give me yours or what?"

You do as he asked, not providing any commentary. He stares at it and feels a wave of embarrassment (and no, it's not because _you,_ in particular, have drawn him in such a flattering manner) hit him at your noticeable difference in skill. He lost this one-sided competition, and he lost it hard. 

You open your mouth to say something but all of a sudden he's gripping on the drawing he'd given you, trying to pry out of your hands, the paper's only support being a random textbook you prepared for your next class. Instinctively, you try to keep it to yourself. "What are you doing, Tsukishima?"

"I'll redo it," he says, annoyed.

"What? Why? I love it and it's mine now, moron, so leave me alone!"

"I know my rights," he argues and despite this apparent argument you're supposed to be having, he still maintains his unbothered way of speaking.

"Let's do it, baby, I know the law―"

Before he can even counter you and reassure you that most likely you don't know the law, your textbook falls with a thud, and the piece of paper shreds in two. Quite an anticlimactic ending to your otherwise enthusiastic wrestle. 

"Look at what you did," you say, distaste written over your face. He cannot even begin to fathom why you look so disappointed. "Weren't you supposed to be cool and collected and whatnot?"

"Why are you more upset than me? I drew that," Tsukishima retorts.

"It was for me."

"It wasn't, we just happened to be partnered up coincidentally."

At the sudden commotion, the teacher decides to intervene. When she sees the ripped drawing, she appears scandalized as if some sort of major offense had occurred.

* * *

Somehow while playing the pronoun game of he did this and you did that, both of you had gotten yourselves in trouble. It's Tsukishima's first time in detention. If he has to be honest, he knows the exact degree of asshole-ry that he can exhibit before he gets in trouble, so this is quite the exotic experience. 

It's also very, very awkward. 

The room is completely silent apart from the occasional burp coming from the kid who sits in the corner. Your glare is fixated on him and all he can do is wave at you―somehow, he manages to make even such a trivial gesture look insulting―with a mocking smile on his face. In a moment of pettiness, you rip a piece of paper out of one of your irrelevant notebooks and start writing with your dried-up pen. 

Once you're done, you crumble the paper and hit him on the forehead with it the moment he's unsuspecting of your antics. He lets out a silent ouch and the teacher gives him a warning look, which he ignores. 

_I liked that drawing fuck you_

It becomes a back-and-forth.

_Are you serious? If you just gave me the drawing back, this wouldn't have happened._

_Nah are YOU serious if you weren't acting like a child in the first place cuz your pride got hurt this wouldn't have happened_

He looks at your glare and decides to give in, for once in his life. 

_Ok, whatever. I'm not sorry but let me make it up to you after detention is over?_

He intently watches your reaction as you read his last message. A small smile, reminiscent of your expression when first seeing his drawing, takes over your previously gloomy face and he decides that this is a win. Tsukishima awaits some sort of response when you pick up your pen, however, he's already convinced he's got the gist of it, judging by your previous expression.

_No idiot but try me after you redo your drawing_

He audibly sighs, causing you to giggle. Once again, he can't win with you.


End file.
